Term in Review - Alpha Mu
written by: Aly Hartman
Nothing is more exciting than a new pledge class - the promise of new friends and new memories to be made. Alpha Mu’s term was no exception. As we poised to increase our on-campus presence and grow our chapter’s prestige, Gamma Xi sought the best and the brightest of prospective new members to see this effort through. And we were rewarded with a group of some of the most energetic and enthusiastic initiates to date. This energy pervaded the entire term - from a rush week with upwards of 200 prospective new members, to a pledge program that captivated the whole chapter, to brotherhood bonding that tightened the family bonds of all our Gamma Xi members, the Alpha Mu term was certainly one for the books.
Letter from the President:
Hi Brothers! As we reflect on this term together, I wanted to take some time to thank you all collectively for all that you’ve done to make this past term so wonderful. Before taking on this position, I was so nervous — I didn’t know how I’d measure my success within this position, and over the summer, I dreaded the thought of coming back to school. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be good enough for the rest of EC and for all of you guys. DSP has been such a big part of my college experience, and it is really the only organization I’ve stayed committed to and involved in since I rushed freshman year, but I couldn’t fight the feeling that I just didn’t have what it took to lead. This is why I want to thank all of you for the success we’ve seen as a chapter this term. All of the goals I had would not have come to fruition without your support, participation and encouragement.
This term, I truly felt (and hope all of you did, too!) that our chapter grew stronger and closer than ever. Brothers came together to submit affirmations for each other each week, and the Alpha Mus were a great example of how tightly knit our chapter could be with strong involvement of brothers during the pledging process. We introduced a new attendance policy designed to encourage this, and to also further align our chapter’s goals with the expectations of the National Fraternity. By the end of the term, we were well on our way to achieving Chapter of Excellence, last achieved by our chapter in 2014. On top of this, our VPs continued to plan and execute fun and exciting events, and we also began bonding with other local chapters, like attending events put on by Theta Chi at SJSU! We learned to take advantage of the resources available to RSOs on campus, which paved the way for more financial freedom for us as an organization, giving us more money to send brothers to LEAD School, to order apparel for our chapter, and much, much more.
While I still think many of the things I did at the start of the term, seeing all of your smiling faces around campus and being able to share small interactions with you all in classes or in Lucas remind me of my favorite thing about our chapter; over the years, I’ve noticed all the ways our chapter encourages and supports its members, doing so selflessly and diligently. I love how close our chapter has gotten this past quarter, and I know that with the addition of our NIBs and the next EC, we’re in really good shape to move forward and continue striving to be a better chapter in the eyes of National and with regard to our professional and brotherhood goals. Thank you all again for an amazing term! I can’t wait to see where our chapter will accomplish in the coming years.
Kristie Chiang, President
Letter from the Senior Vice President:
For my first term as SVP, I knew I wanted to ignite change in the chapter. Having previously served as VP Social and VP Scholarships and Awards, I was primarily interested in and dedicated to bringing brotherhood bonding to the forefront of our chapter’s focus, while simultaneously ensuring that our professional prowess reached new heights. I wanted to reinvigorate our brotherhood with enthusiasm and zeal. Ensuring that the newest members embodied that commitment was my top priority as I planned for our Fall 2019 Rush. Our recruitment theme - “Together We Are Limitless” - embodied this sentiment to a T, and attracted a record amount of prospective new members. I became so invested in the incredible initiates that my rush process garnered that I ended up getting involved in the pledge process as well, and loved every minute of it. Getting to work behind the scenes to bring our chapter together through professional and bonding activities like Flag Football games, Company Tours, and Karaoke nights filled me with so much gratitude and appreciation for my brothers. This chapter, this family, truly spurs our members to success.
Aly Hartman, Senior Vice President
Letter from the Vice President of Pledge Education
Serving as VP of Pledge Education for the Alpha Mu pledge class was one of my most gratifying and memorable moments I have had in DSP. During these eight weeks, I was able to give back to the chapter through helping the pledges through the pledge process. We were able to combine chapter and fraternity history, professional development and fun into two main concepts. The first key point was creating a family environment as each pledge class is a small family within the greater Gamma Xi family. The second key point was accountability, by having the pledges hold themselves accountable, we allowed them to grow from their mistakes while also taking responsibility. This whole process would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of Erika, Erich, and Aly. I am deeply grateful for all of your hard work throughout the entire process. I appreciate each of you for working through my last minute planning, random ideas, and obstacles during the process. I would also like to thank Kristie for her support during her term as President and allowing me to create this unique pledge process.
Lastly, I am thankful for each and everyone of my kids. It is you who truly made this pledge process special and enjoyable. I am glad I had the opportunity to spend eight weeks with you and form these deep connections. You each are extremely talented and smart, and I look forward to seeing your continued growth.
Micah Sakata, VP of Pledge Education
Alpha Mu Big Little Socials | 10/20/2019
Brotherhood Field Day | 11/02/2019
Alpha Mu Pledge Events and Activities
